Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin Badgers, MADISON, Wisconsin – J.J. Watt was no guarantee that his college football career will continue beyond their first year at Central Michigan. He just believed.

Not many others did, and the fact that the best Badgers’ pass rush was delivering pizzas and cleaning floors as a slightly considers that it had moved away from a college program is where Watt’s career could be over.

Wisconsin coach Bret Bieleman Watts gave an opportunity and the W and 6 feet 6 was not ashamed to make some bold predictions.

“I’ll never forget, he asked me what I had to do to win a scholarship,” said Bieleman. “I said, ‘You gotta be in the two deep, or the rotation of big game.” He said, ‘Coach, I’ll be there at the end of spring ball. “And that’s exactly where I was. He was given a scholarship and has been a good story since then.”

It was a good story, even before that date and did not seem possible when Watt was in high school and looking at Division III schools instead of looking on the offensive line No. 1 Ohio State, when he takes the field Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium.

“The thing people ask is, ‘Do you want to change your route to get here. If you could come to New York immediately, right?” I always say no because the process took me from high school all the problems of recruitment for Central Michigan to Wisconsin, was like a character generator, “said Watt. “It taught me perseverance and what kind of work ethic that must have to succeed.

“I’m working at Pizza Hut;. I’m paying my way in Wisconsin for an entire year, only the hope of winning a scholarship There was no guarantee that there was even a spot on the team.”

Watt initially committed to Minnesota before going back and forth between the Chippewa and the Gophers, Bieleman said. The school was not interested? Wisconsin.

“I know that in the process of recruiting high school evaluated him, and probably shows how well the evaluators to be, not project as a scholarship player,” said Bieleman.

Watt even looks the part now after playing a season as a tight end for the then Central Michigan coach Butch Jones before leaving the program was an opportunity not sure that the program even would. He moved to New York defensive end.

“Coach B, fortunately, gave me a place. I won a scholarship, earned a starting place and now here I am. It’s like a dream come true,” said Watt. “When I was in high school, I was watching (Division III schools) Oshkosh, I was looking into Whitewater, only the hope of being able to play football. Now here I am, playing for the Wisconsin Badgers. It is a incredible privilege and honor and love. ”

Watt acknowledges that night, his mind wandered as he waited for his chance.

“Some of them do not have much time. Some of them are not bad. I started thinking to myself: ‘Am I really going to be good enough when I go to Wisconsin, it’s all worth it?” But then again I always think yes, yes, it’s worth. Yes, you pay. I look back now and all those hard nights worth 100 times more. This is more of an incredible experience that everything I have seen in my life, “said Watt. “It was not easy, but it was something I had to do to get where they wanted to be.”

Watt leads the team with 8 1 / 2 tackles for loss and is tied for second with 30 tackles. He also has two sacks, 12 passes broken or diverted, a fumble and a blocked punt.

It is also fanatical film watcher – the study of the likes of NFL stars Jared Allen, Dwight Freeney and Clay Matthews. Also look at your partner, including Cameron Heyward final Buckeyes and Iowa Adrian Clayborn, Heyward will see on the evening of Saturday, October 23 Clayborn.

Ohio State, Jim Tressel puts seekers watts between the conference’s best pass.

“There are some really good, but in my mind, Watts agrees with many of those guys,” Tressel said. “It’s very difficult for a tight end to handle when you have to block.”

Watt has been strengthened through conditioning, but there is a menu item rushes down when he meets with his friends.

“Definitely not eat pizza again,” he said. “I stay away from that to keep the figure clean.”